Police Chief Peter Hoell said a 33-year-old man was taken into custody Tuesday night after officers acted on a tip that there were explosives in the home.

"I really can't be descriptive as to what the explosives are," he said Wednesday. "I can tell you it's a very large amount of explosive material."

Officers maintained a perimeter around the home Tuesday night, and authorities from the Milwaukee County Bomb Squad and the Wisconsin Army National Guard began removing materials from the home Wednesday morning.

Neighbors were evacuated for a short time on Tuesday, but were allowed to return to their homes once authorities deemed the area safe.

Hoell said that while there were no traps found in the home, neighbors would have been at risk if an accident were to occur.

"I was told by the bomb experts that it would've obviously destroyed the house and probably caused damage to neighboring residences," he said. "There would have been a substantial explosion."

Hoell said the man's reason for having so much explosive material is not yet known.

"We don't think there were any targets or any that were used or intended to be used to cause someone harm," he said. "We don't believe that's the case."

WISN 12 News has learned the suspect self-published an autobiography two years ago about battling mental illness.

The explosives were found in the basement, other parts of the home and in a car in the driveway.

The materials home were taken to a remote location, where they were detonated by the bomb squad.

Illegal drugs were also found in the house, Hoell said.

The suspect remains in the Washington County Jail. A decision is expected Thursday on whether he will face state or federal charges.

NEW AT TEN... POLICE FIND MORE EXPLOSIVES AND OTHER ILLEGAL MATERIAL INSIDE A GERMANTOWN HOME TONIGHT. 12 NEWS' JASON NEWTON IS LIVE ALONG COUNTY LINE ROAD. JASON POLICE SAY THEY'VE FOUND HUNDREDS OF HOMEMADE DEVICES. THE SCENE IS CLEAR AT THIS GERMANTOWN HOME...AND COUNTY LINE ROAD IS BACK OPEN. TODAY -- MORE EXPLOSIVES FOUND HERE AFTER A THOROUGH SEARCH. AND WE HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS DEALING WITH. ONLY A NOTE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THAT OCCUPANTS OF THIS GERMANTOWN WOULD NOT BE SPEAKING ... BUT LOCAL POLICE WERE .. 2227 I WOULD SAY ITEMS, HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF ITEMS 2231 INSIDE THE HOME... ENOUGH EXPLOSIVES TO WARRANT A CALL TO LOCAL AND FEDERAL EXPERTS. AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT POLICE SEARCHED A CAR AND THE UPSTAIRS OF THE HOME FINDING NEW ITEMS. THE CHIEF WAS ASKED IF THEY COULD BE DESCRIBED AS FIREWORKS. 2242 THAT'S A FAIR DESCRIPTION. THEY COULD BE USED FOR VARIOUS THINGS SOME PEOPLE HAVE USED THEM FOR ENTERTAINMENT, NOT LEGALLY, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN. 2253 POLICE SAY THEY GOT A TIP ABOUT THE ITEMS AND A 33-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO LIVED AT THE HOME TUESDAY. HE IS BEING HELD FOR POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. WE TRAVELLED TO THE SUSPECT'S MOTHER'S HOME...SHE DID NOT WISH TO COMMENT. MEANTIME, BACK AT THE SCENE, ANOTHER FIND THAT COULD AFFECT THE MAN'S FATE. WE ALSO DID FIND SOME DRUGS WHICH WILL ALSO CHANGE THE CHARGING. THE COMBINATION OF DRUGS AND EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. 2136 THE CHIEF SAYS THERE'S NO INDICATION THAT THE DEVICES WERE INTENDED TO HARM ANYONE. THE CASE WILL GO TO THE DA IN THE MORNING ... THE CHIEF SAYS THE POSSIBILITY OF FEDERAL CHARGES WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSED. IN GERMANTOWN. JASON NEWTON. WISN 12 NEWS.